I'm wondering if you all think that all I do in the summer is go to county fairs, and you'd be almost right.
So.
Last night Kelli and I took Eli and Shannon O'Bannon to the St. Croix County Fair. Notice that this fair doesn't get all caps like the POLK COUNTY FAIR. I'm telling you, the two don't even compare. Really. You'd think with all the money in St. Croix county, the fair would be just unbelievable, but no. Whatever.
The reason we went to the fair was to see the Sermon On The Mount with Lew Sterrett. This man is amazing. Last year we hosted this event on our church property, and I poo-poohed it. Bad me. I am not really (ok, at all) a horse person, don't understand horse people, and have no desire to ever get on a horse. However, I had a few things to learn last night.
Lew started by showing all the things his horse would do for him, stressing the fact that the horse trusted him as we should trust Jesus. Then he brought out a badly-behaved three year old colt. This little guy was one stubborn bugger. Aren't we all?
Lew talked about our relationship with God and how we are so stubborn against him. All the time he was talking, he was leading this horse around the ring, actually pulling him with his horse. The little colt was planting his feet in the sand, pulling against Lew's horse, and just being a brat. When the colt finally would let up on the rope, Lew would reward him with a pat on the back, or a scritch on the neck. By the time Lew was done with his talk about how we all rebel and have a bad attitude, one of his trainers was riding this little stubborn colt. The colt had never had a saddle on him, nor had anyone ever ridden him.
One thing that made an impact on me was the "keeping the back door open". When Lew would try to get this little horse to come up alongside his horse, the little one would always scoot his butt away. He wouldn't let himself be fully engaged and vulnerable. That's me. Always keeping the back door open.
I had a lot to learn from this horse person.
If you ever have a chance to see this presentation, I recommend it. Lew is an amazing preacher, and trainer. So gentle yet firm, he expects right behavior from his horses, and the way he relates the training to how God is, it is just amazing.
1 comment:
I hear ya. The only reason I went last year (in the blazing heat, the sun beating on my back) was because Shannon is such a horsey gal. Where she gets that is beyond me. I've been on a horse about three times in my life, scared to death each and every time.
Last year's presentation was just as amazing...even more so. You only got a glimpse of what this man can teach, not only to the horses, but to the crowd. And that glimpse was wonderful.
Sometimes, after hearing speakers like that, I wish that I could go back and raise my kids all over again.
But, of course, Lew would have to move in. He AND the horses.
P.S. Get over here and help me move furniture. I think I broke the bed.
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